In the field of electric power distribution, electrical equipment may be enclosed by an enclosure, e.g. a cabinet or encapsulation made of metal, at some location, in order to protect or separate the electrical equipment from the surrounding environment or to protect the surrounding environment, including e.g. an operator or workman, or other individuals, from the electrical equipment, e.g. to prevent inadvertent contact between an operator or workman and the electrical equipment. The electrical equipment may comprise a switchgear or a metering panel etc, and is generally a multi-phase equipment, i.e. the equipment controls two or three phases of electricity. A multi-phase equipment enclosure may also include insulation systems to insulate the phases of electricity from one another to prevent arc faults.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,813 discloses a modular insulation system for an electrical equipment enclosure having multi-phase vertical bus bars. The insulation system comprises isolation barriers made of thermoplastic material. An inner isolation barrier is configured to isolate at least two of the vertical bus bars.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,716 describes a modular barrier assembly for use in a high voltage cabinet. The barrier assembly has vertical insulating partitions and is provided to slide into or out of the cabinet.
US-A1-2002/0071261 discloses a sliding barrier assembly for an electrical enclosure for selectively providing or prohibiting access to an electrical bus behind the barrier. The barrier assembly has two panels which are slidable between three positions. Two positions provide access to the bus and one position prohibits access to the bus.
US-A1-2009/0095610 describes a high voltage switchgear and maintenance thereof. Screening plates, e.g. made of PVC, are positioned between phases to shield/insulate phases from each other. The screening plates are inserted by means of an insulated claw rod.
US-A1-2009/0267466 discloses an enclosure for electric power meters including a slidable shelf adapted for supporting at least one transformer. The shelf is moved between a first position within the enclosure and a second position at least partially outside the enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,158 describes dielectric phase barriers in a multiple-phase distribution apparatus having an enclosure for separating the phases of electricity within the apparatus from one another in order to prevent physical contact and electrical communication between the phases. The barrier is manually placed in a working position within the enclosure and manually lifted from the working position.
The inventors of the present invention have identified a request for more compact electrical equipment housed in enclosures, especially more compact metering panels, in order to take up less space when installed on site.
The object of the present invention is thus to provide an electrical equipment enclosure, especially a metering panel, which is compact and non-bulky and thus requires less space when installed.